Chapter 0018: The Murder Case at the Golden Music Festival (5)
Matsuo Takashi said, "Disperse now! Why are you all standing around? Don't you have work to do?"
Kogoro said quickly, "I'm afraid we can't let everyone leave just yet. After Mr. Suwa opened the door, he didn't go inside; instead, he immediately ran to inform Matsuo-san, correct? That means it's possible someone in the crowd could've taken the chance to escape from this locked room. Or, the culprit might still be among us and took the opportunity to tamper with the scene. We can't rule out these possibilities, so for now, I can't allow anyone to leave."
"Matsuo-san, could you please find a room and keep everyone inside for the time being?"
Although the possibility seemed slim, Kogoro still acted cautiously. He also wanted to keep Matsuo Takashi, who was behaving oddly, occupied with something to distract him.
"Alright, no problem." Matsuo Takashi immediately led the five onlookers to a nearby room.
The five began to complain:
"What's the big idea? We were just watching! Do you think we're criminals now?"
"Yeah, these brain-dead celebrities—doing drugs, overdosing—who knows if it's just a suicide? And now we're suspects?"
Matsuo Takashi's eyes turned cold. "Got a problem?"
The five fell silent instantly. Matsuo's imposing presence left no room for argument; he was clearly someone who brooked no dissent.
At that moment, two figures who had been recording the program earlier appeared at the door of the mixing room: Yoko Okino and Lee Hyori. Both looked shocked.
Lee Hyori exclaimed, "Wow! Someone really died—and it's GD, Kwon Ji-yong! Amazing." True to her reputation as the bold and straightforward Lee Hyori, she made a joke even about a dead man.
Yoko quickly hugged Boa and looked at Kogoro, who frowned. She couldn't help but explain, "It was Boa who texted me just now saying someone died in the mixing room on the third floor. I heard you were investigating, so I came down to check. Hyori-nee saw the text and came with me to join the commotion."
Kogoro glanced at Lee Hyori, who showed no fear of the corpse, and couldn't help but sigh, dark lines appearing on his forehead. He told them to stay outside and not enter the scene, then began his investigation. Meanwhile, Conan darted around inside like a curious child.
The deceased, Kwon Ji-yong, appeared to have died from a gunshot wound to the head. A bullet hole could be seen on the glass window. He was dressed in trendy attire, but white powder seemed to be present around his mouth and nose. There were traces of the powder scattered on the floor as well. Kogoro pinched some between his fingers and sniffed it. It seemed to be drugs. As expected, he was a drug user.
On the ground lay a sheet of music. The title was "Christmas Night," a Hip-Hop song.
Suwa Michihiko said, "This was the challenge song Kwon Ji-yong was going to perform tonight."
The lyrics were absurd and vulgar, completely lacking any sense of decency—utterly unfit for public consumption:
> "Pure white powder walks on the board
> Before I depart, we light up the load
> …
> My Hip-Hop's a treasure trove of gold and silver bills
> Counting cash at the party, Kush Kush Kush… burning it down
> …
> All the bitches stay at my crib
> Posing as Santa's little reindeer
> Ride on their shoulders, drain the fuel tank, and sing Jingle Bells
> …
> Eyes filled with killing intent
> Every one of my brothers is motherfucking dope
> Bullet loaded, let's fire shot after shot, Biu Biu Biu…"
Songs like these could still gain popularity, boasting thirty million fangirls. Truly, brain-dead fans exist in every world.
Conan, pretending to be an innocent child, looked up at Suwa and asked, "Mr. Suwa, why did you come to work today despite having a cold? And why did you go to the mixing room before the Golden Music Festival performance ended?"
The question hit a key point. Kogoro also fixed his gaze on Suwa Michihiko. After all, the prime suspect was still him, as he was the only one with a key.
Under the intense scrutiny, Suwa began to sweat. Gritting his teeth, he finally spoke: "Since this guy is already dead, I'll tell the truth. As everyone knows, the Golden Music Festival is a program with a high standard of musical excellence. We invite only skilled singers who are exceptional at live performances. This means my job as a sound mixer isn't really necessary most of the time.
"However, tonight's challenger, Mr. Kwon Ji-yong, had a terrible singing voice. So, during his performance, Matsuo-san instructed me to tweak his sound. That's why I had to come to work despite my cold and why I came to the mixing room during the final segment. I didn't expect to find a corpse."
"Oh, so that's how it is." The crowd nodded in understanding, their gazes toward the corpse tinged with disdain.
...
About fifteen minutes later, Inspector Megure arrived at the scene with his officers from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. Their swift response was thanks to the close proximity of the police station.
"Kogoro, and Yoko-san, it's you two again?" Inspector Megure's head began to ache at the sight of familiar faces. When his eyes fell on the corpse of Kwon Ji-yong, he nearly wept. This was not just a hot potato; if they couldn't solve the case, GD's thirty million fangirls would tear him apart.
Inspector Megure hated cases involving celebrities.
After exchanging a few words with Kogoro, Megure allowed him to continue his investigation. The scene offered plenty of clues but not enough to form a complete deduction.
After Inspector Megure's arrival, Matsuo Takashi also showed up. He continued remotely managing the eleventh-floor live broadcast with his phone, instructing Girls' Generation to keep singing. The group was thrilled, enjoying the chance to perform extensively on such a grand stage. Their enthusiasm grew with each song.
Although Matsuo maintained a calm demeanor in front of Inspector Megure, Kogoro noticed his trembling hands. Clearly, his inner state was far from composed.
GD's body was taken away by the police, and Kogoro opened a window to look upward. On the ninth floor, directly above this room, there was an identical window.
Inspector Megure, holding the lyrics to "Christmas Night," mused, "Kogoro, could this be a suicide? Look at these lyrics—drugs, gunfire… Could he have overdosed and hallucinated before shooting himself?"
Inspector Megure's deduction, as always, was less than helpful. Kogoro asked, "Then how do you explain the locked room, Inspector?"
"Ah, well, that… that…" Inspector Megure scratched his head, unable to answer.